Real France Stories

The gambamoulade in Serralongue (video)

The 3rd weekend in August brings the Gambamoulade, in the village of Serralongue in the foothills of the Roussillon Pyrennees. It is the culmination of the week long Festa Major. A tradition in the catalan region of southern France. Everyone is feeling a little fragile after a week of celebration, but we all rally round for the main event, The gambamoulade. It is held in the school playgound, run by the village teenagers, who return from their various universities just to cook, animate and serve us. The meal is simple and you better like sea food because it ia prawns and mussels.

The aperitif is called a punch, the like of which I have never encountered anywhere else, but by golly it is punchy!! There is a local band and woithin the first half hour everibody is dancing on their seat, from the toddlers to the great grand mothers. And so it goes until midnight when the disco takes over and the old ones and toddlers go home. One of the most brilliant nights in the year and all that for 16 euros pp. Come you will be welcome